With the two new expansion teams, the Dorados de Chihuahua and the Conspiradores de Querétaro, plus the allowed 20 foreigners per roster expect a lot of Cubans to play in the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol.
In the early going star pitchers such as Odrisamer Despaigne and Elian Leyva will head up a pitching staff of the Leones de Yucatán that will also include lefty Onelki García. The Leones bats will include heralded slugger Yadir Drake and up-and-coming Lázaro Alonso.
Young star JC Escarra returns to Tijuana, while new addition and five-tool outfielder Yoelquis Guibert will be a key acquisition for the Toros. Félix Pérez will add power to the lineup of the Olmecas de Tabasco.
Outfielder Rubi Silva signs with the @ConspiradoresQr of the @LigaMexBeis. Silva leads the @LBPNOficial in hits with 32 and is represented by @cperez58 of Leona Sports. #LMB #CubanBaseballDigest pic.twitter.com/v0eGAZudfQ
— Cuban Baseball Digest (@CBaseballDigest) December 8, 2023
Aguacalientes will boast to live young arms in the presence of flamethrowers Miguel Romero and Robert Roilan Portuondo. The expansion Conspiradores de Querétaro will bring back to the league the versatile Rubi Silva and crafty right-hander Jorge Martínez who has been dominant in the Dominican Winter League this year with the Estrellas Orientales.
Alejandro Rivero who tormented pitching in Atlantic League last season with the York Revolution makes his LMB debut with the expansion Dorados de Chihuahua. Expect more signings towards the end of the winter as Mexican teams look to fill their rosters.
Sources: Right-hander Jorge Alberto Martínez of the @EOBASEBALLCLUB will sign with the @ConspiradoresQr of the @LigaMexBeis. The pitcher is represented by @cperez58.
#CubanBaseballDigest #LMB pic.twitter.com/htAQh2cGQ1
— Cuban Baseball Digest (@CBaseballDigest) December 20, 2023
Cubans playing in the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol next season:
Lázaro Blanco RHP (León)
Luis Avilés Jr IF-OF (Veracruz)
Rubi Silva IF-OF (Querétaro)
Carlos Juan Viera RHP (Querétaro)
Jorge Martínez RHP (Querétaro)
Yosmany Guerra IF (Querétaro)
Elían Leyva RHP (Yucatán)
Odrisamer Despaigne RHP (Yucatán)
Onelki García LHP (Yucatán)
Lázaro Alonso (Yucatán)
Yadir Drake IF-OF (Yucatán)
Josh Fuentes IF (Yucatán)*
JC Escarra IF-OF (Tijuana)*
Yoelquis Guibert OF (Tijuana)
Félix Pérez IF-OF (Olmecas)
Alejandro Rivero IF (Chihuahua)
*Cuban-American